A Glimpse At More HD Footage From The Upcoming STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION Blu-Rays!!

A new promo for the forthcoming issuance of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION on Blu-Ray is now online over at StarTrek.com. NOTE that the promo begins a bit similarly to the teaser we saw a month or two ago, but then moves on to incorporate more footage than we got back then.

I'm told that one of these new shots in particular - Enterprise orbiting the Klingon homeworld (for "Sins of the Father" I suppose) represents the "re-creation" of the FX in HD, but very closely matching then original version.

You can find the new trailer HERE. A Blu-Ray sampler disc of TNG episodes presented in newly realized HD, is coming in January with Seasonal boxed sets launching later next year (the series' 25th Anniversary).

Whether you love or hate TNG, these clips...look pretty damn amazing and I can't wait to see them in full HD. The STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES Remastered Blu-Rays rank high among my favorite Blu-Ray product ever in terms of mastering and overall brilliance of restoration. While a somewhat different kettle of fish in terms of requirements and procedures, if these TNG shows end up half as well executed as TOS, we're in for something truly special.

in Nemesis his clone has the hots big time for Troi as soon as he sees her. and spends most of the film trying to mind rape her. i doubt she was the first human female hed ever seen (what they dont have the internet in the 24th century?)
this aspect couldve been explored in a sequel (i.e. a Troi/Riker/Picard love triangle - very much like the spiderman movies)

Nov. 14, 2011, 9:09 a.m. CST

by Cobra--Kai

I believe the next six episode boxset compilation is going to be the mind rape of Deanna Troi volume 1.

It's fucking awesome. No, really.
I've weaved in and out of nerd culture throughout my life, but I think I've always been in good standing as a non-trekker STAR TREK fan. I know what an Andorian is.
But I never watched ENTERPRISE. The idea that all kinds of Important Things happened on another ship called the Enterprise, and yet these things were *never mentioned* in any of the subsequent series, seemed cheesey. Seemed like cashing in on a story I'd come to enjoy with a cheap concept.
And that song they used for the opening sounded so much like an 80s adult contemporary Bryan Adams piece of crap, it seemed like the makers of the show were trying to make sure I didn't want to watch it.
But there it was on Netflix Instant Watch, and in between all the other crap I watch on there, I figured I've give the pilot a whirl.
It's been less than a week, and I'm already into the second season. I love this show. You want reasons?
1. The "humans take their very first stab at interstellar
exploration" premise is fresh and well-executed. These characters face challenges the other shows didn't, and the fact that they're closer to our timeframe actually does make them weirdly accessible.
2. Bakula. The guy really holds the show together. Moreover, his character's enthusiasm for exploration and diplomacy is one of the most humanist and inspiring things to come out of STAR TREK. He's great!
3. Not just narrative continuity, but emotional continuity from episode to episode. As a kid, one of the things I felt limited The Original Series was the fact that the characters could have a mindblowing crisis -- a crisis that if it had happened to a real human being in real life would mark you for the rest of your life -- and not only move on to the next mindblowing crisis the next week, but pretend like the crisis never happened. ENTERPRISE takes the very non-synidication-friendly step of building on each of the experiences throughout the season, referencing them, and having the characters grow. Arguably, the other series tried to do the same thing, but I get the sense that this aspect is more fully integrated into the story and characters on ENTERPRISE.
4. The doctor on board, Phlox, is actually charming, not irritating like Neelix. It's so nice to be pleasantly surprised that the permanent guest make-up prothesis alien is appealing, instead of something to endure.
5. Even the role of Vulcans in relation to humanity (i.e., as scornful nannies) is interesting. It's unexpected. I didn't think I'd actually like it. But it works.
And these are just some of reasons why I love the show. And sure, there still are a few problems:
1. The universal translater is conceptually fuzzy. The took the time to introduce the idea of it and explain how it works -- to a point. But does the speaker hear two languages at once? Or do they only hear english like we do? Are the lips in sync with the language they're hearing?
2. And speaking of translation, we're expected to buy that the communications gal can learn a language in a day. Not bloody likely. I mean, come on.
3. I love big boobed women as much as the next guy -- probably more. But I have trouble buying the Vulcan lady sometimes. She seems too pissed-off too often. (See my "Star Trek Vulcans have conceptually drifted too far from non-emotive to simmering powderkeg argument in past talkbacks.)
4. The show perpetrates the pet peeve I have about the Bad Sci-Fi use of Evolution. To wit: Evolution is NOT TELEOLOGICAL! Evolution occurs in relation to a specific environment, and does not have a trajectory towards "advancement," or even a trajectory at all! Argggh!
5. That fucking song. Fast forward past it every goddamned time.
Despite these problems, I still love the show -- maybe as much as I love any of them. And if I ever feel like things are getting too precious in relation to the later series, I just pretend that ENTERPRISE is sui generis and not connected to the other series. Like it's SPACE: 1999 or something.
So if anybody out there has considered giving the show a try, and you're tired of punishing yourself by forcing yourself to watch old DOCTOR WHO episodes, I wholehearted suggest you give ENTERPRISE a try. In fact, it may be time for me to catch a new episode right about now.

totally underrated. The first couple seasons (especially season 1) are shaky in some respects… a little flat in terms of the storylines and writing. But season 3 rules and parts of season 4 (obvious example: In a Mirror Darkly) are terrific.
Good cast, hard-hitting action, really thoughtful retro integration of stuff into the ST canon. I genuinely like all the main characters. And it goes without saying that Jolene Blalock's luscious body is also a plus.
Enterprise is easily the most underrated thing in the ST world, and I was always surprised that TOS and TNG fans didn't get into it more. One day I expect there will be a reassessment. Good stuff.

I've always thought Enterprise was vastly underrated, and it just gets better through the run. Best eps are in the 4th season. But do yourself a favor and never ever watch the last episode, "These Are the Voyages..." It's godawful, a slap in the face to fans, and a complete abandonment of all the character progression that was done in the 4th season. Even the cast hated it. Had it ended the third season as was originally intended, it would at least have been tolerable. The two-parter that precedes it, "Demons" and "Terra Prime" serves as an excellent finale.

The Vulcans on Enterprise were cool. Not as benevolent as we had always thought and there were some who were actually bad and had their own self-interests at heart.
The only Vulcan I hated was T'Pol who was not an accurate portrayal and the actress was rotten.
THe only bad Trek show is Voyager.

That's just it - it was "filmed" not video-taped. That means that film stock exists with widescreen potential. It was cropped at the edges for 4:3. Look at this example of what they did to Seinfeld episodes in full 16:9:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/03/seinfeld-goes-hd-on-tbs-hd/

Do you realize what you wrote makes no sense, at all? It's meaningless jibberish.
And FYI: I can't grab my cock since it's presently jammed up your mom's ass. And since we have your attention, she's asked me to tell you it's time to move out of the basement and find a girlfriend that's not inflatable (she's also sick of picking up your jizz-soaked socks all the time).

While agree the series is starting to look a bit dated (even with this restoration it still is looking it's age) it's never come across to me as an unpopular Trek show, much less an unpopular show at all. This show was one of the biggest hits of the 80's and 90's and still continues to be loved by fans across the world. Sure the movies never caught on but that's because they never felt like movies.

One thing I'm interested to see is how the footage of the 4ft model holds up. It was always noticeably different from the 6ft model (although at the time I thought it was just because they changed the lighting), but will the size and detail difference be more apparent at HD resolutions?

I have no idea why they decided to throw out the established use of orchestral themes that every other Star Trek show had. And to then select something so incredibly crappy like some terrible power-ballad was a huge insult, a slap in the face to anything respectable about the opening title sequence. I know that I immediately hit the mute / fast forward button to save myself the agony of hearing that damned song.

He IS on a different plane you twat. I'm sure he has way better things to do than be here but he chooses to be here anyway. You? Not so much. This is all you've got. So you try to make yourself feel superior by denigrating your betters. What are you, like 13? Grow up, boy.

As someone who lived through the horror, I need to report that the song was sooo terribad, that they "improved" it by increasing the tempo and made it more rockin'...
I always said it couldn't get any worse.
It got worse...

Examples:
- Ignoring the Earth-Romulan War.
- Making Noonian Soong a descendant of the man responsible for Khan Noonien Singh.
Those, and the god-awful timewar storyline.
The first season was pretty decent. After that, forget it.

Here's a link illustrating how the blu-rays could be done in widescreen even though the show aired with a 4x3 aspect ratio.
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/ent_vs_tng.htm
Athough some information may be lost vertically, so much more is gained overall. I would love to see this (although purists may insist on 4x3)
Personally, I can't stand seeing the matted black bars on the sides of modern tv's but unfortunately, from the looks of this latest trailer it seems they're going with the antiquated 4x3 format.
I love this series dearly and I usually don't hesitate upgrading my favorites to blu but in this case my DVD's will have to suffice.
Widescreen or no purchase from me.

I bet that old broad shits Honey flavored yogurt out of her luscious greek ass and would dangle those dairy plump udders in your face like hummingbird feeders while she rode cowboy. I kid you not...I'd eat feta right off her puckered 56yr old 3rd input.
Marina Sirtis...bringing masturbatory pleasure and fueling fantasies since 1987

16:9 for TV(or the 1:1:85 used in the cinema) on 35 mm film doesn't use the whole frame available on the negative, the frame is actually square like an old television frame 4:3 (1:37:1 at the cinema). Some old American TV had 1:85 in mind when filming, because sometimes, especially mini-series, where released as movie-versions in Europe. with that in mind you could either show more picture top and bottom on the TV-version or if you shot real 1:85 have the 1:37 image within the 1:85 frame and have no vital information on the left and right and crop the sides for Television.
The clue in the trailer is "full aperture 35 mm lens gate" which means they shot and composited the full 35 mm frame for best picture(the detail will be fantastic) and the only way to get 16:9 picture for Bluray is by cropping the top and bottom information of the image which means in a closeup you will cut the forehead and chin of people. That's no way to see Star Trek. I guess some people also have a problem with watching movies in black & white, mono sound or older than 1995? This is the best article I've read on the subject http://www.stringercam.com/articles/frameing.html

Or something close to it. I agree that purist would keep it 4.3 It would be nice to be able to choose between both aspects. One problem with 16.9. I read recently here, or somewhere, that some film footage, about 13 minutes, from "sins of the father" has not been found. In a re-mastered 16.9 version, those 13 minutes would have to come from a cleaned up tape master, and would have to revert to 4.3 in a restored 16.9 version. If missing footage happens frequently during this restoration effort, and they have to "fill in" with standard def footage here and there along the way, it is probably best to stay 4.3

He got the part chiefly because of the buzz around Heroes. A now dead show he happened to be the worst actor on. Yeah, he did ok in Star Trek but he had no gravitas and that high voice just ruined it. I hope to God they fire him and replace his with the guy who play Brutus on Rome. Of course this will never happen but one can dream.

seriously? the same sorta people who say movies should be kept in their proper ratio want a tv show to be showed in an unproper one? don't get me wrong, if it be possible then sure go for it because there's nothing to lose.
but are people really so picky and into their "HD world" that they refuse to watch something in a format that came before it? and as for the black bars on the side thing, if they're really that much a bother than just stretch the image and voila, they're gone.
i can't believe this site of all places has people saying they want this widescreen or not at all and would rather stick to their SD dvds. the same people who look down at those who refuse to watch movies that are B&W or subtitled or hell even more apt, people who only bought full screen versions of movies. hypocrisy lives!! lol

I feel pretty much the same way about it as you. You said that so far you're into season 2. Just wait until you hit season 3. That's the best season of Enterprise. I won't spoil it by telling you why, but if you are enjoying the first two seasons, then I'll wager that you'll be even more pleased with three.
Oh yeah, the opening titles theme song... I also fast forwarded through it, as I got into Enterprise on DVD a couple years after the series ended. Thank God for the scan forward button on DVD and BD remotes.

... in spite of the cheeserock song, the credits themselves are beautifully done: a journey through mankind's heroic explorations. Very elegantly realized and an apropos intro that fits the theme of the show. For this reason, I don't even mind the song.

If I could get my wife into one of those outfits....I could have done without some of her bigger wigs (or styles or whatever). Loved Gates' three seconds in "Crimson Tide" (right?). Very, very luscious.
I didn't care for Troi. Why was she on the bridge again, sitting right next to the Captain?
What about Ashely Judd as the most-delicious Ensign Lefler? Hell to the Yeah, young Wesley!
And that one chick from the first season, the one who was in a clan-blood-feud and was going to waste that guy but Riker (who had probably banged her off-camera) incinerated? She was a carbon-copy of a chick I was banging that summer (Angela Jean Whatshername). LOVED that episode!
Tasha was too uptight, but she should have stuck with it and mellowed. Nice to see when she returned as a guest. Still better looking than Troi.
You know, really, I think there were only like two chick on the entire Trek franchise who were gross. The fat broad who played piano (again with Riker) in that two-parter about the stolen Vulcan ships? Gross. And that other one. From that one series.
Jolene was hands down that sexiest woman in Trek ever. EVER. And I'm a redhead guy! I thought she did a great job. I have much love for Enterprise (Star Trek: Enterprise...whatever) except for the temporal-timeline-war season. Maybe if I took it all in at once, but week-to-week it was just too confusing. Shows like "The Wire" can get away with that kind of detail. Not Trek. Not so much. Season 4 was the best, except for that last episode. Another four seasons could have really been something.
Bakula is indeed the man. A song and dance man, at that.
I might have to buy that costume for my wife. Make that certainly.

It is an awful song that the majority of people hate. The music from the song is fine, but the lyrics and singing are dreadful. Keep it on the pilot DVD, but every other episode should have the Enterprise music score played at the end of each episode put in it's place (or an extended version of it.) Christ, the studio would probably save money but not having to pay the singer on future releases anyway. throw the fans a bone, you Paramount bastards!

I would also include 'Yesterday's Enterprise' on any short list of the greatest hours of television.
TNG also has the notable distinction of having the finest series finale of any television show ever made. 'All Good Things...' is a tour de force, more thrilling and enjoyable to watch than most movies.

You realize that what you're saying is the equivalent of demanding a full screen release of a widescreen film, and how ridiculous that is? It was shot knowing that it would be 4x3, even if there are visual elements outside of that frame it doesn't matter, the director's shot with 4x3 in mind, that's how it originally aired, and that's how it should be released.

The article you linked to (http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/03/seinfeld-goes-hd-on-tbs-hd/) states that they are just shaving off the image area to zoom in and force-fit the frame to 16:9
So in effect you are seeing less of what the they actually shot.
In the case of Star Trek Next Generation, with it's fictional universe of effects and sets, lopping off the top and bottom of the image to fit it to your 16:9 frame might be considered butchering the work.

she was hot, still is.
sttng was the star trek for me. it was a revelation watching it at the time.
you know what killed enterprise? the fucking second episode with a side plot about a fucking worm.
i watched a couple of episodes and realised that braga and berman were just ripping plots from all the previous treks. i swear i could pinpoint epsiodes of stng, ds9 and voy that ended up in one ep of enterprise.
After that i gave up half way through the first season. Me. the guy who brought how to learn klingon tapes and got the email address captainjeanlucpicard@startrek.com ( when they did mail)
FUCK ENTERPRISE AND BRAGA AND BERMAN.

@enricobalazar
The show was meant for 4:3, which means full Academy aperture. That means the entire frame was used for the original 4:3 broadcast.
There's no point in making a widescreen version, as it would have to be a center crop of the original image, so you'd get LESS, not more.

1. Thanks for all the back-up regarding ENTERPRISE. I was a little afraid that the show was like a red-headed stepchild among fans, but it turns out that among people who've seen it (and post at AICN) it's actually recongized as an underappreciated jem.
2. Except by mr_X_. I think ALL Trek is derivative of something -- How many times did Kirk talk a computer to death? And that was just the first season. Derivative as it may be, Brannon and Braga have managed to flim-flam me with enough new plot and characterization to where I don't notice the repititon, or at least it doesn't fell hacky. And hey, I even liked the fact that Hoshi identified with the worm, but at the end was able to take a different path.
3. Playkins -- If you're talking about the theme, yeah it DID bring another flavor -- the flavor of shit.
4. Best Star Trek Babe: I'm going to reach way back for Sherry Jackson from "What Are Little Girls Made Of." (You can bet she was programmed to be a "pleasure model")
5. Regarding Marina Sirtis's boobs, they seem to change size. In certain episodes, especially the early ones, they never really looked that big. Maybe it was the costuming, but the boob size was never as obvious as it was with 7 of 9 or T'Pol. (Of course, they had boob jobs, but still.)

"CBS is, in fact, returning to the original film negatives, a mother lode of material encompassing 25,000-plus reels of footage, and editing the episodes together precisely as they were when they originally aired between 1987 and 1994. Visual effects will not be upconverted from videotape, but instead will be recompositioned. The freshly cut film will ultimately be transferred to high definition with 7.1 DTS Master Audio."
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That's it. I'm sold. I'll buy them. Probably not at first release prices, but I'll buy them all eventually.

Some people like Enterprise, some people don't. Some people love it, some people hate it. For some people it was enough that it had a high production value and a half naked anorexic Vulcan. For other people, like myself, no matter how good it may look it will always be shitting on previously established Star Trek history, making new shit up as it went along. I'm a HUGE Trek geek. I've got every single show on dvd and/or blu-ray (other than Enterprise), likewise all the movies and nearly every book that's ever been printed. There is a lot they could have done with a prequel show that would have tied into TOS lore without having to use sledgehammers and heavy welding equipment. I think Archer was a good captain and Trip was an interesting character. The rest of the show was pointless for me, and often insulting. So no, not all people who have seen it "recognize it as an underappreciated jem". Honestly, not even close. But yeah, it does have some fans.

Actually, I dig it. In fact, I *knew* there was some dissatisfaction with ENTERPRISE among the more die-hard Star Trek fans, which is why my first post was such a declaration in the face of (presumed) opposition. And I was pleasantly surprised to find such positive feedback about the show in this talkback.
But of course, in the words of Dalton from the movie ROADHOUSE, "Opinions vary."
Question: If it were possible for you to watch ENTERPRISE without the baggage of the other series, and it was just a science fiction show in and of itself, how do you think you'd feel about it?

Really? One of the nicest guys in person (met him briefly at a con back in the early 90's - I'm sure he has no recollection), and a talented author to boot. I can't recall ever reading any condescending posts from him on these boards - he always comes across as a fan, and never bashes any talkbackers, no matter how asinine they might be.
Really?

I was just watching 'All Good Things' last night, and was amazed at how hot she was in the mini that some female crewmembers wore in the first season. Her breasts are sublime. And have obviously gotten larger (thanks for the link, Creepy!
I remember her at a con referring to that maroon jumpsuit she wore as the 'Cameltoe' outfit. And she said that blue dress she wore used wear shrank more and more as the season went on and gave her an atomic vag wedgie.
God, she's a dirty old broad.

ah mate, let me justify my dislike / hatred? for enterprise, before i sound like a rabid aicn hater.
So my love of all things trek is there, i love trek, i grew up on re runs of tos and eagerly awaited new eps of sttng, ds9 and voy. I loved all those series. I couldn't understand the hate for voyager so much, it felt like trek and i enjoyed the episodes.
when sttng came out there was no competition, no other sci-fi could really touch it. looking back i don't think the show runners realised that there were competing shows which were as good if not better then trek.
Arguably it took B&B three seasons of a run of a series to hit it stride, sttng, when the borg arrived, ds9 when the dominion/worf came on board voy when they left kurzon space/ 7of 9 came on board. Thats a total of 9 seasons of mediocre tv, you would have thought they would have nailed it by the time enterprise came around. ( braga still doesnt get it ..threshold/terra nova) B&B had run out of ideas. they did some amazing shows (STTNG finale was perfect, absolutely perfect) but they had simply run out of steam. IF they had relinquished and handed over the reins to someone else trek would have continued. The recent trek movie reboot, was quicker than expected, i actually thought it would trek 10 years from the cancellation of enterprise before it would be start up again, but thanks to a new team (jj abrams et all) it came back.
I like many fans had watched episodes constantly, i knew them off by heart. So when i watched enterprise i could instantly tell an episode made up of 4 acts had taken some from sttng, ds9 and voy. Why on earth would i want to watch an episode when i already knew what was going to happen? Especially when it was vastly inferior to the material it had ripped off. good episodes of enterprise where few and far between. 4 good episodes per season does not constitute a season. Who was going to hang around for them to hit their stride when other sci-fi like stargate, galactica and farscape?
I didn't care about the whacked up continuity or the theme song. I cared about the stories and characters. but honestly there was no story. Phlox, T'pol and Trip seemed to be the only decent characters. i loved watched Bakula in quantum leap, but in this he just seemed wooden.
I just turned off, i who would watch any trek found watching enterprise tedious. I wasn't the only one, people turned off in their droves. those hardcore fans, paramount bread and butter left.
If you want to be flim-flamed fair enough. I'm going to point out that the emperor has no clothes and say there is a wealth of good scifi out there that you could watch with your precious time instead.

I wanted to make sure I thanked you for such a well considered post (and while I'm at it, I'll thank Jaka too). Right now, ENTERPRISE is like a new toy for me, and my *surprise* at actually loving it is knocking me out. Maybe we'll be able to revisit this topic the next time Star Trek comes up at AICN. And maybe then I can talk about other stuff too, including my misgivings with "All Good Things." ('Cause I got 'em.)
In the meantime, (left-click mouse button) Engage!

My initial run on Enterprise didn't last the first season. It pissed me off on so many Trek related levels that I just wanted to throw heavy objects at my TV.
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Cut to last year and I did my absolute best to watch it exactly the way you described. Like I said, it had decent production values. It had a couple of really good actors doing some good character work. It had a few well-written, tightly paced episodes. But as a whole the series still failed for me on multiple levels. The ongoing story threads were half-assed to begin with and poorly executed in the end. The use of the anorexic Vulcan week in and week out drove me nuts. The rest of the cast could barely act. Bakula, while I actually liked him in that part, would have been drummed out of service or started about 20 interstellar wars if the were trying to be at all genuine with their storytelling. Anyway... I'm not keeping it short here. Was it watchable as sci-fi? Yeah, I can see how some people could like it. Was it great? No, not in my opinion. Did it do justice to its Trek legacy? Not by a long shot.